If this were true it would create a tidal wave of condemnation and outrage in the community and thankfully it is not true.
What is true, however, is that Upper Hutt Council is getting set to facilitate the building on a road and up to 1000 new houses on the pristine Silverstream Spur, a nature reserve and bird sanctuary roughly the same size as Trentham Memorial Park.
This should also be creating a tidal wave of protest from the community but it is not. Why?
Because the arrangement to “swap” the Silverstream Spur for a larger and inferior piece of land further along the ridge owned by developer the Guildford Timber Company has been kept out of public view.
Save Our Hills, an action group formed by residents of Pinehaven and Silverstream and tasked to watchdog Council activities, are holding Public Meeting on Thursday April 8 in the Silverstream School hall at 7.30pm to present the facts behind the land swap and other critical matters like the proposed new housing development and proper flood protection.
They are doing this to create greater community awareness of the dangers and pitfalls associated with these schemes and to keep the Council accountable.
Most residents, including Save Our Hills organisation are not against new housing development and welcome the proposed widening of the Silverstream /Pinehaven stream.
They simply want them to be properly planned and safely executed with good community consultation and with full transparency.
Graham Griffiths
Save Our Hills Action Committee.
0212 671 758